Synopsis
The Boy and the Heron, a nostalgic animated film produced by the Studio Ghibli in 2023, is a creative and conceptually layered film containing a deep sense of loss, personal transformation, and the process of overcoming grief. Such in-depth themes are brought to life by the use of several creative devices, techniques, and the animation’s graphical illustrations. Each facet of the film and animation reflects the utmost skill of Hayao Miyazaki, one of the last surviving grandmasters of animation today. While this is one of the many known pieces produced by Miyazaki, this marks his first return to the industry following a break of almost ten years. As a result, The Boy and the Heron is often dubbed Miyazaki’s creative renaissance. The Boy and the Heron draws from the philosophic novel by Genzaburō Yoshino, titled How Do You Live. Though the themes of loss and personal grappling with self are heavily covered, Yoshino’s novel is not adapted to tell the story.
The narrative takes place in Japan occupied during the Second World War. The story’s protagonist, a young boy by the name of Mahito Maki, is burdened by the loss of his mother. Following his mother’s passing, Mahito and his father travel to the rural part of the estate, sheathed in the curtains of lush green, and silence, to live in a new house where his father toils away, serving the war industries. This house belonged to his mother’s relatives, and is conspicuously ornate in the middle of unspoiled nature. Old family tales tell that the textures of the estate conceal an abiding mystery and a shrouded sense of still wonder.
Mahito finds the laying down the familiar life challenging. Even with his father’s attempt to remarry and reconstruct their lives, Mahito’s feeling of isolation and puzzlement prevails. This is the phase of his life during which he has the first meeting with a curious grey heron, which can talk. To heron, mahito doesn’t seem a stranger. With him, he embarks on an unusual venture. The heron claims that Mahito’s mother is alive, but concealed, away from the world, which he argues with initially, only to succumb on following thereafter. To endless cosmos, which is way beyond the disciplined, located dimension of time and space, the heron leads him.
Mahito’s surroundings appear surreal and dreamlike, with the presence of curious creatures such as the talking animals, as well as, the mighty symbolic figures. Each one Mahito encounters, the more powerful and more mysterious they seem, including the heron. There is the gentle warawara, which reside in this dimension, and is considered to be glowing souls that are still awaiting to be born. To say that time has no significance within this dimension, is an understatement. There is a fountain of eternal life, allowing the souls to be comforted. The old woman whispering the tales also appears to be alive in this out of time and space dimension, and her loyalty spends eternities to.
With each interaction within this space, the understanding of time halts. Every person the Mahito comes in contact with, offers enlightenment on his himself, his family and the very world they all dwell in. The venture isn’t a claim of victory, but a discovery of realization and of self. It teaches the meaning of life, by unraveling each layer and understanding the emotions of growth, acceptance and his own past.
The inner ache of the Mahito character represents how the people change by transcending their former selves, with the question “how do you live?” at the core of the plot. The character Mahito evokes a kind of self assessment by the audience with the multitude of constituent choices that interspersed each existence. The ending of the film is very comforting. Mahito returns to this world, a world loosed of shackles, resplendently full of wisdom and love.
Where most filmmaking is done in a linear way, this film is free flowing, with sequences that feel like they come out of a dream, combining inner self reflection, fantasies and memories. It makes the audience feel and think, taking them on what one might call a metaphorical odyssey.
Cast & Crew
Like every other film produced at Studio Ghibli, The Boy and the Heron seems to be very artfully and intricately created, with the addition of the animated movies other masterpieces, the art produced by some of the most celebrated names in anime.
Writer and Director
The film The Boy and the Heron consists of any other Mikayzi animated film. It is very personal to the artist and the majority say that this is, without the confirmation, his “so long” film. His animated zenith movies, The Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, and Howl’s Moving Castle, have labeled him as one of the best to ever do it, with people in awe of his ever flowing creativity.
Producer:
Toshio Suzuki is directly considered a founding producer at Studio Ghibli and has worked closely with Miyazaki for significant time. Mr. Suzuki has contributed towards the creation of almost every significant Ghibli film and during the creation of The Boy and the Heron, was instrumental.
Music:
Once more, Joe Hisaishi and Miyazaki seizes the opportunity to work and presents another film of extraordinary, emotionally-charged, and magical music. The film’s piano, cascades into soaring orchestras reflecting the story’s deep and turbulent waters. Ghibli’s latest, does not disappoint.
Japanese Version:
Soma Santoki as, “Mahito Maki”
Masaki Suda as, “The Heron”
Ko Shibasaki as, “Kiriko”
This accomplished voice cast also includes Aimyon and Takuya Kimura and lends their voices to an array of characters to create an outstanding ensemble that represents the film’s diverse personalities.
English Dub:
Christian Bale as, “Mahito’s Father”
Robert Pattinson as, “The Heron”
The stellar english voice cast also includes Florence Pugh, Gemma Chan, Dave Bautista, Williem Dafoe, and Mark Hamill, who contribute to the original performances with the utmost dedication and respect.
Both versions compliment the characters and their emotional delivery and interpretations have been praised.
IMDb Ratings
The Boy and the Heron has received strong reviews regarding its story and thematic elements as evidenced by the IMDb rating of 7.7/10. Audience positive responses has been converted into critical applause which the film was rewarded for.
In addition to earning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2024 – its premiere at the Toronto International and New York International film festivals resulted in standing ovations which won the film appreciation from critics and audiences in the world. The accolades given to the film, especially from the international scene, are attributed to the achievements of Studio Ghibli.
The Boy and the Heron has been described as “The most introspective work by the director to date” and along with that, “a spiritual successor to Spirited Away.”. Critics explains how the film possesses more of a depth in emotions rather than the action and story. It is fully animated and all of the frames are intricate scenes with flowing colors that are gentle to the eye. Ghibli possess a soft style of animation which makes the film look stunning.
Miyazaki is world renown for being able to idyllically create landscapes which in this film, is full of the best combinations of ethereal and dreamlike. He is able to be in a category all by himself when it comes to architecture along with being able to see things that are obscured by most people. The fantasy world is flowing with different types of colors which makes it able to bring imagination to its audience and instills pure femininity to the film.
IMDb users claimed the movie as “deeply felt” and “beautiful” and “provocative as well.” Many people appreciate the story’s healing qualities, particularly those dealing with personal grief and/or life-altering changes.
Concluding Thoughts
In The Boy and The Heron, life, loss, bravery, and the journey of finding oneself are artfully woven together. The movie wisely refrains from presenting simplistic, pat conclusions, instead inviting the audience to introspect deeply on their lives. Using Mahito’s experiences, the movie illustrates the importance of memories and how powerful emotion, when accepted, can be.
Hayao Miyazaki’s final gift to the world is an intricate composition of love and reminiscence, boundless in its inquiry of aging, being, and the art of relinquishing. The Boy and The Heron is a testament to Miyazaki’s unparalleled storytelling, featuring delicate animation and subtle themes, and is an imaginative work that invites contemplation long after the credits start rolling.
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